Stys was the top rebounder, with 7, and Ingribelli led all players with eight steals.

Hope Brown played only 24 minutes but nonetheless scored seven points and grabbed three rebounds.

“Hope Brown has really become the player we hoped,” Beccaria said. “She handles the ball well, guards exceptionally well and does things well that don’t always show up in the stats column.”

Niagara hosts the Conestoga Condors, 3-10, Wednesday in a 6 p.m. tipoff at the Athletic Centre in Welland. The Knights opened the season series with a 61-49 victory Nov. 22 in Kitchener.

Close loss at home

A battle between the eighth- and 11th-ranked teams in Ontario men’s college basketball came down to the three-throw line.

While No.11 Niagara won the battle of the boards, 50 rebounds to 35, No. 8 Redeemer had the much-hotter hand from the charity stripe.

Indeed, the visiting Royals were almost automatic, draining 20 of 24 attempts, an 83.3-per-cent shooting efficiency. In comparison, the Knights finished the game with a success rate of only 42.9 per cent, shooting 9-for-21.

“I thought both teams played well making for an exciting game,” Niagara head coach Mike Hurley said. “That proved to be the difference.”